For The Love Of A Child
by Elena3579
Summary: Eponine is a child who's never known real love. Marius is getting his grandfather's idea of love, not the love of the father he has always yearned for. Together, with the rest of the gang, they become forbidden friends. In a world full of hurt and prejudice the innocence of childhood overcomes it all, but will it overpower the hidden darkness that lurks in the shadows? Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! So this is really my first story story, as in it's not a one shot. I've been wanting to write this for a while. It's really based on what I imagine would happen if the les Amis were in modern day America when they were younger, in a town with a really rich side and a really poor side, and a lot of gangs and all that... lovely stuff that no one should be involved in. I want your honest opinions on this story, and I'm open to suggestions of instances that you would like to happen. I do have some form of an idea of how I want it to end, but don't worry, that won't be for a while! So please like and comment. Thanks!?**  
/ **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, all rights go to Victor Hugo**

* * *

The school bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. The thunderous sound of the footsteps of elementary school children echoed through the halls of the school, all off them anxious to get home as quick as possible due to the fact that it  
/itwas officially their summer vacation.

Among them were a group of boys, walking out of Ms. Myers second grade class as if they were the kings of the world. To say they were glad was an understatement.

"Dudes we have three months to do whatever we want! I'm pumped!" Screamed Grantaire, a tubby kid with bushy, raven black hair and dark browneyes. He got his never-ending energy from the amount ofsugar he consumed on a daily basis.

"Yeah, and I got my report card yesterday! I passed every subject this year, all A's!" Exclaimed Combeferre excitedly. He had light brown hair and grey eyes. He also wore glasses, classing him as the 'nerd' of the group. He had been thinking abouthis  
report card all day and had been itching to tell his friends about it, the excitement getting the better of him.

"Whoa! Are you gonna get a reward for that?" Asked Courfeyac, a boy with sandy-colored hair and the most dazzling green eyes.

"I believe that the correct term is 'an award' " corrected Enjolras. Enjolras was seen as an overachiever, wanting to excelin everything he had thick, curly blonde hair and icy blue eyes that could cut right through you when giventhe 'death glare'.

"Ah come on Enjolras, cut Courfeyac some slack! He has been very slow since he hit his head falling off the monkeybars!" Commented Marius, a boy with chestnut brown hair, green eyes and a face littered with freckles.

Everyone laughed at Marius' comment, bar Courfeyac, Enjolras and the hypochondriac and drama king of the group, Joly. He had curly red hair, blue eyes and had was ofsmall frame.

"He could have ended up paralyzing himself guys! Or, if he hit his head hard enough, could have done brain damage!" Cried Joly.

"Ammmm guys, as much as I love talking about Courfeyac's injuries, how's abouts we call it quits and headto the playground?" Suggested Marius. He had gotten permission from his grandfather to spend an hour after school at the playground, andtime  
was ticking!

All seemed to agree with Marius. As they were walking through the school gates, Grantaire shouted "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

The boys' competitive nature took over as they all ran off in the direction of the playground, each desperate to be first.


	2. Chapter 2

"Yes! I did it!" Courfeyac screamed in glory, having been the first to burst through the gates of the playground. The other boys' followed in close persuit, entering just in time to watch Courfeyac do his 'victory dance' as sweat poured down his forehead.

The Musain Playground was only a five minute walk from the boy's school. It was located in a small business park across from a few stores- there was a CVS Pharmacy, a library, a pizzaria and a créperie. The créperie was a particular favorite of the boys',  
who claimed that their maple syrup was a 'gift from God'. There was also a small park beside the playground, the ideal place for a game of tag.

As Courfeyac continued to boast about his victory Enjolras rolled his eyes and headed in the direction of his favorite thing in the playground. The swings. He loved how the wind blew in his face as he forced himself higher into the air. His favorite swing  
was the middle of the three and was practically his. _**Nobody**_ else usedit while he was present. But that was not the case today.

As Enjolras approached the swing set he did a double take. Someone else was sitting on _**his**_ swing! This most certainly was not on. He was going to have to remove this person at all costs.

As he stepped closer Enjolras got a better look at the young offender. They were wearing a pair of jeans that were too long for them, leaving the ends in threads. They had a red hoodie that was fading to an off-pink colour. They had trainers on that might  
have once been royal blue with white stripes and laces, but now the stripes and laces had become a paler shade of black. On top of their head they wore a black phillies cap with bits of hair sticking out here and there. It was hard for Enjolras to  
place whether 'it' was a boy or a girl, as they were looking down at the ground. To his horror, they were just rubbing the already worn trainers on the ground underneath them, not even trying to levitate. _If you're gonna sit on a swing, at least use it for what it's made for!_ Thought  
Enjolras.

He put on his best glare as he stood there, hoping to catch their attention. After several minutes of an attempt to get them to sense his presence didn't work, he decided to confront them. He coughed lightly and, to his relief, the 'swing thief' looked  
up. He was met with two chocolate pools of eyes.  
"Ummm... I was wondering if you have any idea who's swing you're sitting on?" He asked in his best stern-yet-not-mean voice.  
"These swings don't got names on 'em," was the reply Enjolras got.  
"There's two beside me that is free, you can go on one of 'em if you want".  
Their eyes lit up all of a sudden, and a smile spread across their face.  
"Let's have a competition! 'Oever goes the highest wins! I love goin' real high cus' the more higher I go the free-er I feel! Ya know what I mean?"  
Their voice changed from one so dull to one full of excitement. Enjolras couldn't ignore their not-so-good grammar.  
"By the way, I'm Eponine," they said, extending their hand out for Enjolras to shake, which he did. So 'it' was a girl. He was about to answer when Marius came bounding towards them.  
"Enjolras! We're going to play tag in the park, wanna come?"  
"Ooooo... I love tag!" Exclaimed the girl now established as Eponine.  
"Why don't you join us?" Asked Marius.  
Eponine's face completely lit up. "Ya really mean it?" She asked, astounded someone asked her to play with them.  
"Sure! I'm Marius by the way!" He said with a smile. "And those are our friends!" Marius said as he pointed over to where the rest of the boys were waiting.  
"Nice to meetcha! I'm Eponine!"

After Eponine was introduced to everyone she walked back to Enjolras who was now sitting on _**his**_ swing. She walked up to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, something Enjolras did not like the look of. She swiftly tapped his shoulder  
and shouted "TAG YOU'RE IT!" and then ran towards the park with the others. Enjolras sighed as he got up and began running after his targets.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update! Life kinda got in the way... Anyways the story is progressing pretty well which is why I need your help! I have a rough idea of what I want to happen in this story but sometimes other people can be just as good at creating a plot of the story that isn't there's. And that's not a bad thing! So if anyone wants to send suggestions of what they think should happen then be my guest! I take all suggestions on board! I'm not saying that they're all gonna be used, but they might also spark ideas for something else! So after the next chapter or two you will probably get a better idea of what's going on in the story and will be able to put more input into what I write! I would also like to thank everyone who has sent a review to me, I can't think of your usernames off of the top of my head but you guys are great! Ok I'll stop blabbering on now and continue the story!**  
/Philip Gillenormand drove through the streets of Evanstown, turning up the radio to hear the news as he steered his Jaguar towards the playground.  
"Today's top story, three more houses just outside Evanstown have been broken into in the short space of 48 hours. The thieves have supposedly stolen three flatscreen TV's, four phones, an iPad, various types of jewelry and a Michael Kors handbag containing  
ID and bank cards. Anyone with any information on the times of the break in areasked to contact the local police station. Police are not certain, but they believe that the infamous 'Patron Minette' gangare behind theserobberys."  
Gillenormand scoffed as he heard this. _It's people like that who are the unrest in this town. At least Marius isout of harms way not hanging out with any of those dodgy characters._ He had done a background check on all of Marius' friends  
and they all seemed like fine boys from good families. Seeing as he was making the right company Philip had given in and agreed to let his grandson spend an hour after school at the Musain Park, and that was where he was headed now. When he got to  
his destinationhe pulled up just outside the park, quickly spotting Marius playing tag.

When Marius saw his grandfather he felt a bit disappointed that he would have to leave, especially in the middle of a great game of tag with his new friend. Eponine was actually really cool. She didn't whine like other girls when she was tagged and had  
to catch someone. She was actually pretty fast so she was never on for long. Marius was just giving his grandfather a wave when he felt a strong force on his back and fell to the ground. He looked up to see Eponine on top of him, splitting her side  
laughing along with all the other boys. She thentapped himand shouted "TAG YOUR IT!" quickly hopping off of Marius' back. Marius, who was also having a giggle fit, got up and brushed himself off before chasing after the others.

Gillenormand was absolutely shocked after what he had just seen. Marius was being polite and waving to him when, out of nowhere, someone jumped on his back, knocking him to the ground. What's more is that the child who did it was not even a friend of  
Marius, they were a common street rat. Gillenormand figure that out pretty quickly, taking the child's shabby appearance into account. He couldn't have his son hanging aroundwith that child, or visa versa. He grabbed his cane and hopped out  
of the car, heading in the kids' direction as quickly as his feet could carry him.

"Hey Marius, your grandpa's heading o ear here, and he's moving really fast!" Stated Courfeyac. All the boys (and girl) were amazed at the older mans pace, Marius included.  
"He must be really excited to see you Marius," said Eponine.  
"Ya I guess. I'll have to introduce you to him!" Replied Marius.  
When Philip made it over to where the kids' were Marius ran over to him and began to say  
"Grandfather this is my new frie-" before Marius could finish his sentence he was pulled into a tight embrace.  
"Aaawww! So sweet!" Eponine said.  
At this statement Mr. Gillenormand looked up at her, a wicked look in his eyes.  
"How DARE you tackle my grandson to the ground! He could have gotten injured and YOU would not have given a damn! I don't want to see you again! Now be gone!" Roared Gillenormand, the fire in his eyes growing.

The boys' looked in shock between Marius' grandfather and Eponine, confused by Gillenormand's outburst at her. Eponine stayed where she was, completely shocked by the words just shouted at her by someone she didn't even know.

Seeing no sign of movement, Philip shouted "Go back to where YOU belong!" Gripping his cane even tighter. Eponine spotted this and wasted no time in sprinting out of the park and down the street, becoming a moving dot in the distance to the boys'.

"Come Marius, we need to be getting home," stated his grandfather firmly. Marius did as he was told, following his grandfather to their car. He turned briefly to wave goodbye to his friends, the day's events racing over and over in his mind. Eponine,  
of course, was the one that was causing him the most confusion.

What did she do wrong?


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! Look I know what your all thinking... I'm terrible. I couldn't agree with you more. I have been busy but that's no excuse for takingso long to update. I'll try my best to keep it more regular . This chapter is especially dedicated to all those who have liked, reviewed and followed this story and my one shot. You guys are amazing. Just wanna say also that I'm open to any ideas you guys wanna throw at me, don't be afraid to say what you want!**

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Eponine ran down the Main Street of Evanstown, heart beating fast as she did so. She slowed down as she came to the alleyway that led to her home.

As she turned down the alleyway, she looked cautiously to make sure that there was no drunken fumble or the likes going on (it wouldn't be the first time). When she was certain that the coast was clear she made her way down the alleyway.

She sighed as she walked, kicking a stone while doing so. She was sad that she could never seem to make friends without having their parents judge her by how she looked. She thought for a minute while she was running around enjoying herself withthose  
/reallynice boys that maybe, just maybe, it would work this time. But no, she never had such luck. It was the same old story, different day.

 _If only I had nice clothes and a family that-_ she stopped her train of thought right there.

She was now nearing the distinctive 'border line' between the good side of town and her side of town. If she were to turn left she would be heading towards the town center. It's basically just a longer route to the playground. Whereas going right willbringher  
/to the 'rough' side of town. The side of town where she lived. The side of town the mainstream people turned their nose to. There was a fence put here to stop such people from coming into this side of town, the same fencing as the cage behindtheperson  
/batting in baseball. Instead of hopping the fence she decided to go through the hole in the fence that was just big enough to fit her own small frame. She made her way to the street where she lived, passing the run down red brick housesthatwere  
/on either side of the street. Her house wasthe last one on the right.

Her pace quickened as she neared the house, knowing full well in this neighborhood a bullet was capable of being fired at any time due to the undying gang rivalry that existed here. As soon as she pushed in the door (which had no knob/handle for god knowswhatreason  
/today). She ran through the sitting room come kitchen area, if you could even call it that, with a round oak table with marks and scratches on it, a 22 inch TV (one of the older ones with a huge back to them) and a kitchenette with a half-workingovenand  
a small fridge.

Eponine headed straight upstairs to her room to the one thing that got her through each day with a smile on her face. Her little brother Gavroche. She threw the door open and saw Gavroche in the corner, playing with the batman figurine she got him for  
his thirdbirthday last year. He dropped it immediately when he saw his big sister and ran up to her. They embraced each other tightly.

"Hey there bud! 'ow was your day?" Eponine asked.

"Boring!" He replies as usual.

Eponine looks around the room for her sister, noticing her absence.

"Where's Azelma?" She asks, getting slightly worried.

"She gone ta the store to do the shopping, Ann-Marie said she 'ad to", Gavroche saidin a sullen tone. Eponine rolledher eyes at the mention of _that_ women.

"I missed 'ou taday Ponie!" Exclaimed the four year old.

"So did I Gav, but I don't got school again 'till August so we'll be spending lots more time together".

"YAY!" Gavroche said excitedly, looking forward to the days to come.

Their happy moment was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming. The siblings gasped. _Papa's home._ They embraced each other tightly, Eponine putting her arms around Gavroche protectively as they heard footsteps coming up the creakingstairs.

The door to their room suddenly flew open. Their father stumbled in and Eponine instinctively hid Gavroche behind her. Their father moved towards them, the smell of alcohol off him getting stronger with every step. He grabbed Eponine's arm andpulled  
her up while trying to keep her balance.

"Where's the money girl?" he slurred, the stench of alcohol off his breath was almost enough to knock someone. Eponine scrambled in her pocket and pulled out three one-dollar bills and five quarters' and handed it to her father.

He looked at the money for a minute before turning his gaze towards Eponine, looking at her with pure disgust before pushing her hard enough for her to fall over.

"THIS is all you get!?" He roared at her.

"I was at school today so I could only look for a few hours!" Eponine shouted back.

Thenardier did not take too kindly to this. He hit Eponine across the face. He then felt the need to kick her, which he did, into her right side just above her hip. Eponine winced slightly.

"Good for nothing, better bring in more tomorrow..." Said Thenardier as he left the room.

Eponine moved towards the wall, eventually getting there and leant against it. Her cheek was stinging and her side was sore. _Great, two more new injuries I have to make excuses up for..._ Thought Eponine. A little sob brought her back toreality.

She looked over at Gavroche. His lower lip was trembling as he looked at his sister, knowing their father had hurt her. Eponine saw this and opened her arms for him to go into, which he gladly accepted. He ranover to her and curled up on her

lap,sobbing into her rubbed soothing circles on his back and told him everything was going to be ok. She was also trying to reassure herself at the same time.

As her eyes landed on another bruise on her arm she sighed.

 _At this point what I need is a miracle._ She thought, as she and her brother were curled up in the corner of their room, sore and afraid.


	5. Chapter Five

**Ok guys I know! It has been forever since I updated and I'm not gonna make up that I was extremely busy or had writers block or anything like that, I was lazy. But you guys have been awesome! I'd like to thank the following people for liking/favoriting/following this story;**  
/ **~Eponine Cinead-Enjolras**

 **~Lady Crazy228**

 **~Elsa-rosa-may**

 **~MusicalTheatreRush**

 **And the following people for liking/favoriting/following my one shot 'Gone' ;**

 **~The Puppeteer Patient 120402**

 **~Isla102938**

 **~katiereads0512**

 **You guys give me the will to keep going! I am open to any ideas you have for this story, the plot will be more prevalent in the next chapter or so, so you guys will have a general idea of what's going on! Without further ado, I give you chapter five!**

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Marius looked out the window of his grandfather's car as the drove towards his 'home'. Or so it had been for the past five years.

Marius' mother died shortly after giving birth to Marius from a so called 'undetected medical condition'. He didn't know much about his mother, only that she was a beautiful woman with long, silky brown hair and dazzling green eyes. He only knew thisbecause  
/he saw a picture of her in his grandfather's study, a place that was off limits for Marius. His grandfather never spoke a word about her to Marius. Every time Marius would bring her up in conversation his grandfather would dismiss himcompletely  
/and change the topic.

Marius' dad was fighting in one of those Eastern countries that were always at war. Really and truly, Marius had no idea where his father was, or even if he was alive. The last time he had seen his father was when he was three. He knew his fatherand  
/grandfather didn't get on very well, and that they had completely different views on many political issues. They fought a long battle over who would have custody of Marius. When Marius' father was deployed, his grandfather won custody of him,hands  
/down.

Marius'last memory of his father was hugging him the day he was being handed over to his grandfather. His father promised him they would see each other again and that he would write to him, all the while holding back the tears in his icey-blueeyes  
/as Marius balled his green ones out. He placed him into his car seat in his grandfather's car, not speaking a word to the man in question, and kissed him on his forehead before closing the door as the car pulled away, his father becomingsmaller  
/and smaller in the distance until he could no longer see him.

Despite his father's promise, no letter ever came for Marius. No word at all on where he was or when he would be home. Marius was unsure if his father even remembered him. Surely a father couldn't just forget about his child, right?

Marius' grandmother died before he was born so he never knew her. It was just him and his grandfather and that was the only way he ever remembered it.

Either way, Marius was practically an orphan.

He was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts as the car took a sharp turn into the driveway. The very long driveway. There was a huge yard, which always looked like a blanket as it was cut every week, and it was surrounded by a tall wall and metal

the center of the yard stood a gigantic fountain. The house itself was three stories high-each double the length of your average house. It was painted cream and had stone details on the side. No doubt about it, it was definitely fit to be on 'House  
/of the Year'.

Marius hopped out of the car when it came to a halt outside the stairs up to the large double doors that served as the front entrance.

Upon entering the home, it became a maze for someone who did not live or work there. There was a marble staircase that was in front of you whenyou entered. Beyond the staircase you could turn left to go into the kitchen. The hallway to the rightbeyond  
/the staircase led to other rooms and a toilet. The door to the left in line with the staircase brought you into the dining roomand if you walked through the dining roomit would lead you to the kitchen. The door to the rightin line with

the staircase led to the sitting was just more toilets, bedrooms and his grandfather's study.

Marius was determined to find out from his grandfather what exactly was wrong with Eponine, whyhe didnot like her. His grandfather had begun talking to one of the housekeepers, so he waited patiently for them to finish their had

just finished talking and Marius was about to open his mouth when his grandfather's phone rang. While he was trying to catch his grandfather's attention, his patience began to run out. Was was his grandfather _always_ putting businessfirst?  
/Eventually he heard his grandfather say goodbye to whoever was on the other of the phone. Marius ran straight up to him and said "Grandfather!" in a very urgent tone. His grandfather turned around with a smile on his face, obviously happyafter  
/whoever he just talked to.

"Ah, Marius, my boy! One day you are going to turn out as successful as me, do you know?"

"I guess so. What I wanted to ask you is-"

"You _guess so?_ Marius in this day and age there is no guessing, do or do not!"

"Ok then I will! What I was saying was-"

"If I were to have guessed the major decisions made around here, who knows what sort of chaos would ensue!"

"I understand grandfather but I really want to know why you think Ep-"

"Anyways, my boy, run along. I have other business to attend to." Stated Philip, completely oblivious to a baffled Marius, who was no more wiser than he was fifteen minutes ago.

Marius sighed in disappointment, and ran up the stairs and into his room, thinking about the witty, energetic girl that entered his life a mere few hours ago.

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 ***PLEASE REVIEW!***

 ***PLESE SHARE YOUR IDEAS FOR THIS STORY WITH ME!***


	6. Chapter 6

Eponine looked out her bedroom window, anxiously waiting for Azelma to return. She was annoyed that Azelmawas sent to the store by herself, and probably with a long list of what to get.

Azelma was, after all, only seven. She had also missed a lot of school this year and last year, the crucial years in which you learn the foundation of reading and writing. Eponine would help her with her homework as best she could, but she wasn't exactly  
student of the year herself, missing more school than her sister and raising her siblings practically on her own.

Eponine, Azelma and Gavroche's mother had passed away after fighting a long battle against cancer. She was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was just thirteen weeks pregnant with Gavroche. She had to make one of the hardest decisions any expecting mother  
should ever have to make- begin chemotherapy, which would hopefullyeliminate the cancer, but would kill her unborn child. The other option was to not get chemotherapy and continue withthe pregnancy, increasing her chances of the cancer  
spreading and getting worse.

It was a life changing decision, but Evelyn chose to carry on with the pregnancy. Having a happy and healthy baby was all she wanted.

At the time Eponine was only five so she didn't quite understand was happening, and little Azelma was only three so she didn't know much different. But even at the age of five Eponine could sense something was wrong.

With her mother being sicker during this pregnancy than withthe girls', Eponine's mother found it hard to look after her and Azelma like she used to do. To be fair to her father, he really tried to help at the start. Bernard Thenardier owned and  
ran a successful enough motel in Jervistown, a couple of miles away from Evanstown. He couldn't just close up for a while to look after his kids and sick wife, no matter how sick she may be. Business was business. Besides, what else was going to pay  
for the hospital bills? He knew he needed to call for help.

That was when _she_ came.

Evelyn's first cousin, Anne-Marie, moved in with them along with her two boys George (aged 8) andNapoleon (aged 2). It seemed like perfect timing as Anne-Marie's husband had died suddenly a few months prior and she was looking for somewhere to stay.  
Bernard saw this as a blessing as he could look after the motel while Ann-Marie cared for all at home.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Just as Eponine was thinking about the touchy subject that was her home life, she saw a little head of light brown hairdart down the street. She recognized it as her sister and immediately jumped off the windowsill and headed for the door. Gavroche  
had fallen asleep in Eponine's arms and she had placed him on his bed (a mattress on the floor with a thinblanket and a pillow) and he was still asleep. She went out the door and brought the key with her. She then began her decent downstairs  
to get to her sister before her father did. She did not want her to be on the receiving end of his fury as well.

She entered the kitchen to see Azelma putting the shopping away into its rightful places and promptly began helping her. She knew that if they were to leave the shopping out they would still get punished. Once everything was where it belonged Eponine  
grabbed Azelma and ran up the stairs.

Once they were safely in their room Azelma gave Eponine a confused look, but realization dawned when she saw the red mark on Eponine's cheek. Realization no seven year old should have to come across. Eponine merely shrugged and proceeded tolockthe  
door, not wanting to take any chances. Azelma's voice eventually broke the silence.  
"My do we live like this 'Ponine?" She said in a voice that still had some innocence in it, innocence Eponine lost long ago.  
"Because, Azelma, there is no where else for us to go. We wouldn'tsurvive on the streets, not for long. I don't want that life for you or Gav" Eponine answered, indicating towards the sleeping boy.  
"It's time you got some rest 'Zelma, you can have my blanket tonight." Eponine threw a worn, yellow blanket towards her sister, who promptly caught it. It was the warmest one they had. Azelma smiled at her sister and hopped onto her mattress, quickly  
dozing off.

Eponine waited until Azelma was asleep before curling on top ofher own mattress. She stuck her hand into a hole in the mattress that had been there for some time and took out an old, faded photo. The edges were freyed and slightly browning. But  
it was the people in the picture that mattered most to Eponine. There was a small baby, a newborn, a toddler and a woman who was the mother to the two children. The woman was wearing a pink top with lots of different colour flowers on it and a pair  
of jeans with sandals on her feet. She was beautiful to look at too. She had her hair tied back in a messy bun, bits of its chestnut brown colour sticking out here and there, but that made her no less pretty. She had deep chocolate eyes, and a smile  
that at the very sight of it made you smile as newborn was wrapped in a yellow blanket and the toddler was wearing a yellow dress with a matching headband and anyone who were to see the child would say she was the spitting image of  
her mother.

It was a photo of pure happiness. It represented everything that Eponine's life used to be, and everything that her life would never be again.

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 **Please review, favourite and like! Another chapter coming soon! And if you have ideas sharethem with me!**


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